Curtain-fixture.



PATENTED Arnzs, 1907.

L. B. 6: L. E. REYNOLDS.

CURTAIN FIXTURE. APPLICATION FILED MABHI, 1906.

[NVENTOR 5 Allomey UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIQE.

LEANDER B. REYNOLDS AND LEANDER E. REYNOLDS, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

CURTAIN-FIXTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 23, 1907.

Application filed March 7, 1906. Serial No. 304,727.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LEANDER B. REY- NOLDS and LEANDER E. REYNOLDS,citizens of the United States of America, residing at Grand Rapids, inthe county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Curtain-Fixtures, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in window shade or curtainfixtures, the object in view being to provide a supporting attachmentwhereby the curtain or shade may be adjusted to any desired position onthe window frame and conveniently fastened in adjusted position.

Another object is to provide improved brackets for supporting the endsof the shade roll, and simple and effective means for holding thebrackets in position.

Still another object is to provide a construction of bracket whichadmits of the convenient attachment of the suspending cord therefrom,and to provide a novel clamp forholding the operating end of theadjusting cord to retain the shade in any position to which it may beadjusted. l

With the above and other objects in view, j

l l f r l the invention consists of the novel construction, combinationand arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which 1- Figure 1is a view in elevation showing the application of the invention to awindow frame. Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the rollerbrackets. Fig. l is a sectional view of the bracket shown in Fig. 2.Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views showing a modified form of rollerbrackets. Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detailView of one of the buttons or retaining devices. Fig. 9 is a similarview of the cord clamp. Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section of l the same.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the window frame, 2 the shade orcurtain roll, and 3 the shade or curtain. The roll 2 is of the ordinaryspring actuated type and is sup ported by bearing brackets 4 and 5 towhich are attached at one end suspending cords 6 and 7. The cords 6 and7 extend upwardly either in fiont or along the inner sides of the jarnbsof the window frame and through or l clamp will be hereinafterdescribed.

over guide staples or pulleys S and 9 arranged at the top of the frame,the cord 6 extending across the lintel of the frame or across the top ofthe window opening therein below the lintel and passing with the cord 7through the guide 9, as shown. Beyond the guide 9 the two cords 6 and 7extend in parallel relation and project downward through a guide 10arranged upon the window frame in proximity to the guide 9, and the cord6 is extended continuously to form an operating portion 11 to which thecord 7 is attached, as indicated at 7, said operating portion 11 beingprovided at its lower end with a tasseled or otherwise ornamented knobor finger piece 12. It will thus be seen that through the mode ofmounting the shade shown and described, the roller and shade may bereadily and conveniently raised and lowered to any desired height on thewindow frame, while permitting the shade or curtain to be wound andunwound in the usual manner.

In order to hold the shade in adjusted position a clamp 13 is providedto grip the operating cord 11. The construction of this It will,

of course, be understood that the guide may be varied iii arrangement asdesired to locate the cords upon the face or inner sides of the windowframe.

The brackets 4- and 5 are of such construction as to provide for thefirm connection of the suspending cords therewith and to adapt them tobe conveniently formed from. a single piece of sheet metal struck up orstamped out by the action of a die. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the saidbrackets 4 and 5 are similar in construction, except that the bracket 4is formed in its inner wall with the usual slot 14. while the bracket 5is formed in its inner wall with a round opening 15, said slot andopening being adapted to respectively receive the angular end of thespring actuated rod or shaft of the roll and the cylindrical journalupon the opposite end of the roll. Each bracket consists of a hollowrectangular body composed of outer and inner side walls 16 and 17, frontand rear walls 18 and 19 and a head socket 20. The socket 20 primarilyforms the neck portion of the blank from which the bracket isconstructed, upon which the parts 16 and 17 are folded to bring theminto parallel relation. The walls 18 and 19 are preferably formedintegral with the outer wall 16 and are bent at right angles thereto.while the wall 17 abuts against the free edges of said walls 18 and 19,thus forming a hollow rectangular oblong bracket. The socket 10 formedby the crown portion of the bracket is preferably of conical shape andjoined to the walls 16 and 17 by intervening narrow necks or unionpieces 21. An opening 22-is formed in the apex of the socket for thereception of the conncting end of the cord 6 or 7, as the case may be,the end of the cord being knotted, as indicated at 23, to retain it insaid socket. Slots or openings 24 are formed between the socket andwalls 18 and 19 between and at right angles to the necks 21 and providepassages through which the cord may be primarily threaded through thesocket, the knot 23 being formed upon the exterior of the bracket anddrawn through one of the openings 24 into the socket by pulling upon theend of the cord.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown a modified construction of the brackets,wherein the body of each bracket is composed of companion walls 25 and26 supported by the necks 21 from the,conical socket 20. These walls arebent into U-form, and one is slidably engaged with the other so thatthey may have a relative sliding engagement to the extent limited by theyielding action of the necks 21. A ring or band 27 slidably engages eachbracket and retains the walls thereof in adjusted position, and themeeting edges of the walls are notched or cut away at their upper endsto form slots or openings 24 to permit the cord 6 or 7 to be threadedthrough the socket or removed therefrom for untying the knot to enablethe brackets to be detached from said cord. Une of the walls of thebracket 4 is provided with a roundopening 14 and the other with a slot15 for the purpose described. This construction also permits of theconvenient manufacture of the bracket from a single blank of sheetmetal, as will be readily understood, and obviates the necessity ofsoldering or otherwise permanently fastening the walls of the brackettogether.

In order to hold the brackets 4 and 5 in engagement with the journalupon one end of the roll and the angular end of the shaft at the otherend of the roll, retaining devices 28 are provided, each of saidretaining devices comprising a stop button or knob of rubber or othersuitable material provided with a socket 29 to receive and engage thejournal or shaft 10. The application of these retaining devices is shownin Fig. 1, and it will be seen that they serve to hold the brackets fromdis connection when the roll and shade are adjusted.

If desired, the retaining devices may be omitted when the form ofbracket 5 shown in Fi 5 is used, as the walls of said bracket may beadjusted by the band 27, so that the inner edges of the wall 26 willgrip the angular end of the shaft and-hold the bracket thereon frommovement.

The cord clamp 13 comprises a body portion 30 having attaching ears 31,perforated for the passage of fastenings. A fastening may be also passedthrough an opening in the center of the body to firmly attach the clampto the window frame. The body is also formed with an upper guide socket32 and supporting ears 33 to which is pivoted a clamping jaw 34 havingan angularly bent serrated upper end 35 to grip the cord 11. The lowerend of the jaw 34 forms a handle by which it may be convenientlymanipulated, and its extent of opening movement is limited by a stopprojection 35 projecting from the body between the ears 31, said stopprojection being apertured to form a guide for the passage of the cord.It will thus be seen that upon releasing the cord 34 the roller andshade may be conveniently adjusted up or down, and that upon releasingsaid jaw the cord 11 will be automatically clamped to hold the shade androller in adjusted position.

It will, of course, be understood that the portion 1 1 of the cord 6 mayconsist of an independent-piece of cord, chain or the like and beattached to the free ends of the cords 6 and 7, but the cord 6 ispreferably extended in the manner described below the free end of thecord 7 to form the operating portion 11 to which the said free end ofthe cord 7 is attached, in order that a construction may be secured inwhich all tendency ofthe suspending means to yield may be equalized,whereby the brackets 4 and 5 will be maintained at all times in properrelation to support the shade roller 2 in a horizontal position in allof its adjustments.

It will be observed that the brackets 4 and 5 are simply suspended bythe cords 6 and 7 and are entirely free from traveling or guidingconnection with the window frame, thus obviating the necessity ofproviding more or less expensive auxiliary guiding attachments. Thisadvantage is secured by making the brackets 4 and 5 of such an effectivelength that they will counteract or counterbalance the action of thespring of the shade roller 2. This action is counteracted in the usualshade fixtures by the fixed connection of the brackets with the windowframe, but it will be understood that where the brackets are free, as inour construction, the tendency of the spring when the shaft is releasedfrom looking connection with the roll by the disengagement of the dog isto cant or tilt the brackets or throw them out of plumb position. Whenso tilted, it is apparent that the dogs would be thrown out of workingposition, and the shade would be wound up on the roll by the action ofthe spring and could not be held unwound therefrom. This 0bspring andthus resist the tendency of the latter to throw them out of operativeposition.

By this means the necessity of arranging the brackets to travel in fixedguides on the frame is avolded and the construction cheapened andsimplified. The hollow form of the tion, the weights being frictionallyheld or suitably fastened in the brackets, wherein they are concealedfrom view.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:-

1. In a window shade support, a bracket comprising a chambered bodyportion and a crown portion with a cord passage, and a member slidablyadjustable on the body portion to adjust the members thereof.

l. In a window shade support, a shade supporting bracket comprising achambered body portion and a head socket formed from a folded piece ofsheet metal, said body portion being composed of channeled membersslidable with relation to each other and hav- 7 mg a longitudinal taper,the members being brackets adapts them for the recept1on,1f desired, ofweights to increase their resisting aci j 1 provided head socket formedfrom a folded piece of sheet metal, said body portion being composed ofrelatively movable members formmg an openable casing and being cut awayto provide openings between the same and socket, the latter beingprovided in its crown portion with a cord. passage.

2. In a window shade support, a shade supporting bracket comprising achambered body portion and a head socket formed from a folded piece ofsheet metal, the bod r portion being composed of channeled membershaving a sliding engagement for a relative adjustment, members inadjusted being cut away nicating with the socket, and the latter beingprovided in its crown portion with a cord passage.

3. In a window position, said members shade support, a shade and meansfor retaining said to provide openings commusupporting bracketcomprising an openable chambered body portion and a conical head socketformed from a folded piece of sheet metal, the said body cut away toprovide openings communicating with the head socket, the latter beingwith a cord passage, and. a ring slidably el'igaging the tapered bodyportion to adjust the members thereof.

5. In an adjustable support for window shades, the combination of awindow frame provided with guides, a shade supporting roll, bracketscarrying said. roll, ac-h of said brackets comprising a chambered bodypor tion and a head socket, said socket being provided with a cordpassage and a body por- .tion being cut away to provide openingscommunicating with said cord passage, suspending cords fitted at one endin the head portions of the brackets and extending through the guides,said cords being connected for simultaneous adjustment, and one of thecords being extended to form an operating portion, and means on thewindow frame for guiding and clamping said operating portion.

6. In a window shade roller bracket comprising a chambered body formedwith a frusto-conical socket to re ceive the notched end ofa suspendingcord, said body portion being cut away at oppo site sides to provideopenings communicatsupport, a shade ing with said socket.

In testimony whereof, wc allix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

portion being composed I of a pair of relatively movable members andbeing provided with portions cut away to i provide openingscommunicating with the 1 head socket, the latter being formed in itsLEANDER B. REYNOLDS. LEANDER E. REYNOLDS. Witnesses:

BENJ. 0. Portrait, NETTIE CLARK.

